A STUDY IN DROWNING | Ava Reid

Rating: ★★★★★

TL;DR: A beautifully written book that touched my heart!

Summary: I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. Effy is such an incredible character. In the beginning with her fear and lack of belonging, she tore at my heart. The way she was treated by everyone around her and how she couldn't see her own value, it was heartbreaking. But then she went to Hiraeth and after meeting Preston and everything that happened, she was able to face her fears, see her value and finally be free of the things that had been holding her back.

One line in particular made me cry. Angharad says: "Survival is bravery, too." And I think that was beautiful. Sometimes all we can do with our situation is to survive and yet, that is no small accomplishment.

I'm excited to see where the rest of this story goes and see how Effy and Preston deal with this beautiful ordeal of love.

What I loved: The worldbuilding is exquisite. Effie's character development is gorgeous.

What I didn’t: I wished that the fairy king had been a more important/involved character, but it didn't impact how much I enjoyed the ending.

Mood: Curl Up With Tea, Bittersweet + Beautiful, Autumn Cozy Read, ATMOSPHERIC

Warnings:

• Sexual Content & Violence: Frequent sexual harassment, sexual assault (implicit/off-page), grooming, and intense misogyny.

• Mental Health: PTSD, anxiety, panic attacks, nightmares, and gaslighting.

• Physical Safety: Drowning/attempted drowning, injury (amputation), and smoking/alcohol usage.

• Abuse: Parental abuse, neglect, and emotional manipulation.

• Grief/Death: Death of a parent and loss of loved ones

Who should read it: Have you ever wanted to live in a weird creepy castle and fall in love with a handsome dude that might hate you? This is your book.

Buy: [buy it here]